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Arrival at Eriadu
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| Gerard_Rex | Date: Monday, 11 November 13, 7:28 AM | Message # 1 |
 Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| The Blended Jade emerged from hyperspace, unassuming, save for being a heavily-armed yacht. Establishing an orbit in accordance with any automatic information sent through, it sat silent. On board, Rex drank from a glass of purified water, considering the world. He'd come to meet with Elon Tarkin and observe this new offshoot sect of Pius Dea. Rex still kept to the old code, so to speak, but Tarkin, Eriadu and this mysterious fellow who wanted a meeting with him could well be the keys he needed to unlock the location of a cathedral ship. It was a dead-end belief, he still knew; a cathedral ship would be so ancient and outdated; it could never serve as a warship. A banner, however? It could be quite the banner. Still, baby steps. Baby steps.
"Open a channel with the planetary control," Rex instructed the pilot. "Tell them I have come to see Elon Tarkin."
Gerrard 'Grendel' Rex
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| Elon_Tarkin | Date: Monday, 11 November 13, 10:59 PM | Message # 2 |
 Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| "This is ground control to Mr Rex. Your identification codes have made the grade. Please direct your vessel to the palace hangars, we will transmit a bearing" they did so.
The landing coordinates would bring the ship into the Governors Palace main hangar.
Elon Tarkin
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Governor of the Seswenna Sector and Eriadu
Majority Shareholder, Quintad Orbital Manufacturing
Prominent former member of "The Faithful of the Good Deity"
Former Pius Dea Cultist
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| Gerard_Rex | Date: Tuesday, 12 November 13, 6:36 PM | Message # 3 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| And so the Blended Jade would descend through the atmosphere, guided into the hangar of the palace. After it landed, Rex departed the vessel, accompanied by a quartet of black-armored 'adjutants' who worked for him. He was looking forward to meeting this Tarkin fellow, overall. The man seemed likable enough, at first glance, though only time would tell the truth.
Gerrard 'Grendel' Rex
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| Elon_Tarkin | Date: Thursday, 14 November 13, 6:50 AM | Message # 4 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| The Eriadu Palace Guard would be waiting for the arrivals. Two rows of ten would be assembled by the landing ramp and come to attention as the ships ramp came down.
Elon Tarkin stood at the end of the row, greeting the arrival with a bow. "The Honourable Mr Gerard Rex" he would say as he did, his hand giving a gesture of recognition used among the many secret Pius Dea cults in millennia since the Jedi had deposed them.
"Welcome" he said rising "to the Governors Palace of Eriadu, and I am that Governor, as you may have gathered. In the background from the hangar, a hundred miles distant but still visible shining in the sunlight on its gilded surface despite the pollution, it's soaring spire almost two miles high, on the largest in use building in the Outer Rim.
Tarkin extended an arm toward the shimmering cathedral "I have an armoured air speeder ready to take us over to the Cathedral. I am told there are many tens of thousands already awaiting your Ser.." He was going to say sermon but checked himself "lecture, many have travelled for days, even on foot some of the the poorest and most pious. You are due to speak in an hour, would you like to refresh yourself or head there directly?"
Elon Tarkin
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Governor of the Seswenna Sector and Eriadu
Majority Shareholder, Quintad Orbital Manufacturing
Prominent former member of "The Faithful of the Good Deity"
Former Pius Dea Cultist
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| Gerard_Rex | Date: Saturday, 16 November 13, 7:46 AM | Message # 5 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| Gerard extended his hand to a lovely blonde woman who came off the ship behind him and the guards. "Governor Tarkin, meet Alle, my adjutant." Taking in the view of Eriadu, Gerard breathed deep and then exhaled before returning the gesture to Tarkin. Catching the slip the Governor almost made, Gerard smiled gently and settled a hand on Tarkin's shoulder. "Why don't we begin the drive, Governor? That way you can tell me more about yourself and the Church of the Faithful of the Good Deity."
Turning, he offered his arm to Alle and prepared to step into the airspeeder Tarkin had brought for their travel. "You know, Governor, speaking of cathedrals, I am a man with a vision, and a dream. Once you have told me sufficient about yourself and this wonderful planet, then I shall share with you my vision for the future."
Gerrard 'Grendel' Rex
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| Alle | Date: Saturday, 16 November 13, 9:38 AM | Message # 6 |
 Private
Group: Users
Messages: 5
Status: Offline
| Alle most certainly did not look the part of an adjutant to any kind of 'religious official', at all. She was stunning; with long platinum blonde hair, piercing sky blue eyes, porcelain skin and a tall, lithe figure that rivaled most high fashion models on all of the Core Worlds. Certainly, Alle did not look like she could harm even the tiniest of flies, but if anyone made the wrong move around her employer, they were begging for mercy within seconds. Mercy that they generally never received.
She was dressed modestly enough to meet the Governor, in a pale lilac dress with a light sweater to cover her shoulders. Alle felt that she looked ridiculous, of course, but she did as she was told and this was a more proper attire, for the moment. She took Gerrard's offered hand as she approached and then offered the Governor a smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Governor Tarkin." She offered him her free hand as a gesture of greeting and then took Gerrard's arm to get into the speeder.
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| Elon_Tarkin | Date: Monday, 18 November 13, 4:57 PM | Message # 7 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| Tarkin chafed at a woman not addressing him as "Excellency" as was the custom on Eriadu. He chafed at a woman's presence anyway. Women were lovely in their way, he had sired many bouncing boys via his wife Brunhilda, he just felt their purpose and place was domestic, temporal, functional. Wheras the male mind being less guided by emotion and hot passion was the appropriate one for high matters of cold calculation in politics or quiet contemplation of religion.
Of course, he looked her over, not quite to the point of leering, he had met and slept with many attractive women in the Eriadu Pleasure District, but, he supposed she might be worth having around simply as an ornament, a bauble to look at, much as he wore his chain of office and expensive wrist chrono. Then spoke before the time spent having this thought could become apparent.
"Splendid to meet you two" he said in a polite core accented tone, a typical Tarkin, biting back a suggestion that Alle go and meet with his wife while the men did business. He climbed into the airspeeder followed by a pair of armored guards who's armour locked into seats either side of the door as the passengers were lead by a servant to the luxurious airspeeder, with several plush comfortable seats with gravity generators instead of seatbelts. When they sat they'd feel a slight acceleration as the airspeeder went quickly from 0 to be 2000 km/h but with relatively few gs felt inside thanks to its inertial dampening.
Tarkin clicked on a hologram being fairly down to business as soon as they were seated. "Now, as you'll have read on our Holo, the Church of the Good Deity is one that is monotheistic and has several billion members in the Seswenna Sector, mostly located on Eriadu, and goes back several thousand years in origin. We have around fifteen billion members registered on the Census as Deitians but since the religion is so old it's the cultural default for many. We have about five million active members, that is to say attending service at least once a week. Active members are suggested to pay a tithe of 10% of their income into the church, which many do, in exchange for blessings in their life from the deity.
Our members are required to follow the six solemn precepts of our faith and the five obligations of the deity, they also study the promises and the great prophesy.
The Six Precepts
- Belief in the female deity who rules and unites the universe and devotion to her worship, she is explicitly female and it is heresy to declare her male or genderless.
- The recognition that the Holy Father Church is the spiritual completion of the deity herself and so acknowledges the Church as equal to her majesty.
- Belief in the purity and superiority of Human blood
- Belief in the right of man to rule the Galaxy and is destined to do so in a manner to be revealed in time by the female deity.
- Belief in the obligation to work honestly and conscientiously for your employer.
- Belief that any suffering in this life will be rewarded in the next glorious plain of existence with ecstasy ten times as great.
The Five Obligations
- Obedience - To Church and lawful authority (in that order)
- Moderation - In all things, to not be profligate or waste.
- Generosity - To pay a tithe of at least 10% of income to the Church to help it help others, blessings of the goddess as pro-rata to tithing level.
- Honesty - To be honest and upstanding in all your dealings, and to confess sins to your preacher.
- Readiness - To lay down everything, life, money, happiness, health etc for the faith.
The Promises of the Goddess to the Faithful
- Glory in the Life Hereafter
- Blessings in this life to the faithful
- The protection of the Church from hardship and persecution
- The right to bring matters to Church courts (if between church members)
The Great Prophesy
"From the Stars a Prophet will come. He will lead you and the Arch Lector and Princes of the Church shall lay obedient in prostration in his presence. He will bring to you a ring and speak words of power which makes the Relic of Saint Contispex (in fact an ancient Pius Dea holocron style device requiring instructions to activate in the old Pius Dea tongue) activate and teach it's truths, he shall be able to defeat any being in battle and drive all before him, he shall be merciful and wrathful in equal measure and on his touch, the relic of the Redemption shall glow, and many other portents will be seen in all lands. Thus he shall come, and he shall rule over you, and his successors likewise for many generations."
The General Body of Holy Father Church is centered around a fixed organizational structure. The faithful are grouped into around a thousand per Diocese headed by a Bishop, these are broken down into five congregations each under a Confessor each of whom will have an Acolyte, a Deacon and a Curate who perform subsidiary roles. Celibacy is not expected of clergy, but immoderate public sexuality is seen as sinful. Womens opportunities in the church are limited as passages in the Holy Texts forbid them from preaching or teaching within a church building.
A thousand Diocese are grouped into an Arch-Diocese under a Cardinal Arch-Bishop. A Thousand Arch-Diocese are grouped under a Lector, there are always Five Lectors and selected from the Faithful there is the Arch-Lector who is the final word on any decision as his will is determined to be divinely influenced by the grace of our deity.
Although there are other groups which determine doctrine and the day to day administration of the faith, the Grand Council of the Church (all Confessors, Bishops, Arch-Bishops and even Junior Clergy can address the Council) which is called once a century to rule on doctrinal issues and sits for ten years. All Cardinal Arch-Bishops are represented in the Concistorial Court of Discipline, which sits constantly. The Lectors act as high officials at the court and also have their own Council named the Magisterium of the Deity, advising the Arch Lector and each running an arm of Father Church, while the Concistorial Court sees to it's body and the Arch Lector is it's decision making link to divinity.
The five Lector-headed arms of the Church are:
- The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is the disciplinary arm of the church (also known as the "Quisition"). It has around ten thousand members named Exquisitors, each Exquisitor holds the power to prosecute Church members or Clergy in Church courts for major infractions such as heresy. They are responsible for questioning incorrect doctrine, revealing it and correcting it, while imposing chastisement where necessary.
- The Congregation for the Evangelization of Humans is the missionary branch of the Church which is in charge of all prosletising efforts and assuring that new members become fully educated and doctrinally competent. The members are usually of ecclesiastical rank in any case, but if not and are simply lay people committing their lives to a life of spreading the faith, they are known as Missionaries.
- The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life manages those who have committed themselves to lives devoted to the religion in a greater way than the average of the Faithful. There are five named Orders of Consecrated Life and too numerous to list are the variety of societies of lay members live by stricter rules than the general body of the church in order to be closer to the deity.
- The Order of Ordained Scientists - This group lives communally in often isolated communities and work on various branches of scientific and technical study that help develop our understanding of the universe and so the deity's works.
- The Order of Anchorites of the Void - This group is a small order that commit themselves to a lifetime of solitary prayer and study. They must first work and raise the money to fund or build a simple space craft able to sustain a single person indefinitely. It is not permitted to have any communications links but must have sufficient food, water, atmosphere and medical facilities to last at least twice their projected lifespan. They are deposited at random in deep space by a hyperspace ring which the Order's Clergy provides, these will jump to random coordinates, leave the Anchorite pod and jump back to Eriadu, clearing their computer history as they make the transit back so these faithful never return and spend the rest of their days contemplating the works of the deity and reading the holy texts. Unusually, the Order of Anchorites of the Void permits females to follow this vocation.
-The Order of Saint Contispex - This group has several hundred chapter houses which usually have agricultural land attached. Each is run by it's own Abbot and the members of the church are named Cenobites, addressed as "Brother _____". These chapter houses provide a variety of medical, humanitarian relief and educational services to the communities around them, often taking in young orphans, many of whom become Cenobites. Cenobites divide their waking hours in equal measure between Labour (physical labour for the benefit of the Chapterhouse, often growing food or other farming duties), Study (reading the holy texts, copying manuscripts and contemplation of the holy truths) and Prayer (conducted in five times daily services held in these Chapterhouses.
- The Order of the The Divine Purse - The Order is responsible for managing church finances. Is an order of sterilized accountants who renounce all property and live a sacred vocation to manage the finances of the chuch. They are sterilized in order that they have no progeny and so no reason to wish to accrue wealth for future progeny. They are selected from applicants from Church schools from male applicants aged eighteen who have graduated in the top 0.01% of their class and who must pass a mathematics exam considered more difficult than IGBC Exams in order to even enter as a Novice into the order. The Order is the smallest as it comprises the elite of the elite and usually has around a thousand members who live in several chapterhouses on Eriadu and do not have contact with the outside corrupt world. The most senior members of the order may be seen in public attending meetings of senior clergy to present reports or figures. They are the top rank in the order, named "Logis Wardens", with normal members of the order simply addressed as "Brother Logistician"
- The Order of the Most Sacred Order of the Preservation of the Blood and Brain - Lead by the Cenobiarch of the Genes. This order is responsible for testing all members for genetic mutations from the human norm. They provide contraceptive and sterilization services for non-human or mutant faithful and provide statements of genetic purity to the Faithful (required to progress into the clergy). They are also responsible for branding texts as Edifying or Censoring them among the faithful.
- The Congregation for the Education of the Faith - This life combines the role of a monk and a teacher, these often may live in Chapter Houses which may serve as Boarding Schools for large numbers of the poor faithful who cannot afford to house their own children or afford childcare. They also serve in many normal Eriadu Schools and may live among the laity as educators in any field. They are however obligated to live by strict holy orders. The leaders of this arm are ranked as "Evangelists" wheras the junior members are simply known as "Teacher" with the most junior being "Tutor".
- The Congregation for the Faithful of Distant Parts - This branch provides priests, money for places of worship, support and welfare to newly formed churches off Eriadu itself. They provide clergy, guidance and support to distant congregations and legal and other assistance when these new churches (or indeed old churches separated from Eriadu by distance) have difficulties.
The Arch Lector, in addition to presiding over the Church (while leaving much day to day Governance, Faith and Temporal concerns, to the Concistorial Court) is directly responsible for several groups who over the centuries the incumbent Arch Lector has granted the right to be directly subordinate to him, and not the Magesterium or Concistorial Court (as the majority of the faithful are).
- The Order of the Redemption (not publicly acknowledged) - A cult comprising around 500,000 members who are fully aware the Church is a politically expedient face of the Pius Dea, their numbers and membership is secret, as are meetings. However, all Arch-Bishops and Lectors have been members for over a thousand years. The inner circle hold Pius Dea Church rank in addition to their own religious titles, so a simple Faithful Brother might have no rank in the Church of the Deity, but might be Redemptionist Deacon or Bishop within the Cult. The ranks are (from lowest to highest) Redemptionist, Censor Bearer, Crusader (ranks of the junior cultists, outside the inner circle), Exorcist, Acolyte, Deacon, Patriarch and Bishop. The Arch-Lector is the Grand High Redemptionist (unless he appoints another to this role).
- The Orders Militant:
- The Holy Wardens of the Deity - The Security force of the Church, heavily armoured their Sentinels can be seen on the walls and gates of all major church buildings. They number around 100,000 in number (on Eriadu, some others throughout the Sector) they are equipped with old and crude but effective armour and weapons. They are responsible with transfering the weapons from the Church armories to the walls if required (all Church buildings are built with weapons mountings and an army in case they need to defend themselves).
- The Banishers of the Flesh - A sect of warrior cyborgs numbering in the low hundreds. Given official status under an eccentric Arch-Lector several centuries ago they have never been a large order and seek to banish weakness by upgrading their body with cybernetic implants and replacements. Rarely seen outside their Monestary on Seswenna except occasionally in the grounds of their only other Chapterhouse outside Eriadu City.
- The College of the Void Leviathans - This is a religious order devoted to the study of the operation, design and piloting of capital and even larger classes of space-craft. This has all been purely theoretical and is done in simulators. However, there has always been a prophecy that there would be a time when the Deity would call her children to the Stars and that they must be able to fight for their celestial destiny. Each world in the Seswenna Sector has a Chapter house and massive battles between conceptual craft and the current latest designs are run day and night to seek to create perfect officers for any ships needed in future. Many in the Church believe the prophecy of Arch Lector Finis III was a simple allegory and so view the amount spent on the College as distasteful. Members of the college are ordained priests but wear military uniforms and have Military as well as church style titles.
- The Praecipua Exsecutionem - The special enforcers of the Arch-Lector, trained in many different martial arts, they are generally feared for their black robes, silent steps and swift blades. Often a heretic priest who cannot be tried for political reasons ends up dead. Essentially a group of trained assassins, sent out to live as bounty hunters for two decades before returning to the order they are few in number (around twenty members at any time active) and are officially titled "Executioner of the Doctrine of the Faith" or "Doctrinal Executioner" which refers to their official task of executing doctrine in the legal sense, not their true role as ecclesiastical executioners.
- The Exploratory Theologians of Seswenna - A group headed by Elon Tarkin dedicated to the exploration of the ancient texts and seeking the deeper meanings in them. They also keep a secret library of Pius Dea documents, and study those as divine texts equally.
- The College of the Gifted with Divine Grace - A branch for the training of Force Sensitives (currently being established to set up schools for these children to be educated away from the Jedi). The Current Arch-Lector Sejanus declared a moratorium on allowing the Jedi to take away Church members children from their homes if force sensitive and so pledged their own education system. Currently construction of a building is under way on Mirnic. Its construction is taking a great deal of time as it is understood the Jedi Order or radicals in it may attempt to steal such children away and so there must be sufficient security to thwart this. The College is currently seeking Force-able tutors (even Jedi if they will abide by the schools religious code of life) to help tutor these young force sensitives.
Any questions?" The airspeeder was skimming across the landscape toward the cathedral, occasional church symbols and religious buildings of various size would be visible below clearly as the center of many communities. The symbol would be similar to that of Pius Dea, and visible across many walls even from the height the speeder was at.
Elon Tarkin
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Governor of the Seswenna Sector and Eriadu
Majority Shareholder, Quintad Orbital Manufacturing
Prominent former member of "The Faithful of the Good Deity"
Former Pius Dea Cultist
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| Gerard_Rex | Date: Wednesday, 20 November 13, 4:34 PM | Message # 8 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| Making room for Alle to sit next to him, Gerard listened attentively to what Tarkin had to say. Hearing the precepts, promises and obligations, Rex simply nodded. They had followed Pius Dea beliefs, if not to a 'T,' then quite close to them. Adaptation was good, though. Adaptation prevented stagnation, which was part of what had befallen the Pius Dea movement in the past. Rex's countenance soured for a moment. Stagnation, and a lack of a pure bloodline from Contispex I to Contispex XIX. It should have only been the sons of Contispex who held the reins of Pius Dea, after all. At times, Rex's own impure bloodline angered him, but it was a personal battle that he would always wrestle with.
"The Inter-Galactic Banking Clan," Rex said quietly as Tarkin came to a close in speaking. Tarkin had made mention of them when speaking. "The Trade Federation. The Techno Union. The Commerce Guild." Each word came forth with more quiet venom. "My ancient grandfather would weep to see what the Republic has allowed itself to be taken over by. Neimoidians. Colicoids. Muuns. Huttese influence right and left, even taking over a bastion such as the Cygnus Empire. It disgusts me, Elon. It sickens me to my very core. And here, after so many years, I happen to stumble across a sector of Pius Dea faithful right under my nose. You have all the makings to be great once again. We have all the makings to have Pius Dea rise once more and purify the filth that have come to reside in such high places."
Rex sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, envisioning the relic that Tarkin had described. If it was what he thought it was, Rex held the keys to deciphering it; ancient words passed down quietly from father to firstborn son, down the generations. "I have the keys to your relic, Elon. I also have the keys, almost all of them, to finding a figurehead for us: one of the ancient, lost cathedral ships. The Shining Pathway. There is a temple I must locate, though, where the final location may be unlocked. Still... one thing at a time, no?
"I do have a question, then, Elon, my new good friend. Are you ready? Are you prepared for what will come?"
Gerrard 'Grendel' Rex
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| Elon_Tarkin | Date: Friday, 22 November 13, 2:50 PM | Message # 9 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| "The Trick really is not calling it Pius Dea. Plenty of people will worship a Goddess happily, and follow any set of beliefs their priests give them, priests are good like that. But being "derived" or "similar" to the Pius Dea is much less politically dangerous than being "Pius Dea Church Members. Of course there is a Pius Dea Cult within the Church but officially we stay under wraps. Wouldnt be expedient."
He nodded at the words about the temple "We must all take things one after the next in the order ordained by the Goddess, she is the divine will which guides us."
"What do you imagine will come, your Worship?" he would say sitting back in his seat as they glided in to land in the amazing temple's upper galleries after circling the cheering crowds. "Eriadu is committed to protecting freedom of religion. But I must warn you the religion is not the majority and we cannot countenance openly breaking from the Republic and secede."
Elon Tarkin
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Governor of the Seswenna Sector and Eriadu
Majority Shareholder, Quintad Orbital Manufacturing
Prominent former member of "The Faithful of the Good Deity"
Former Pius Dea Cultist
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| Gerard_Rex | Date: Friday, 29 November 13, 8:16 AM | Message # 10 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 44
Status: Offline
| "You and I understand that it is Pius Dea, though, and not simply 'The Good Deity' that is at the heart of this." Rex was not foolish enough to start throwing the Pius Dea name around. "Very inexpedient. No doubt we'd have the Jedi down on us like a hawk-bat on an exposed power cable." Then the man asked what he imagined would come. That was not an easy question to answer, not at all.
"It all depends what path of action we take," Rex said, settling back and listening to the muted cheering from outside their vehicle. "We will have to tread carefully at first. The Jedi, more so than the Republic, will be our adversaries. If we can find a way to blunt our power, then it would be all the better. You, however, are a statesman. I am simply a businessman. Our areas of expertise are quite different, in that regard. I imagine that we will either validate a way to give greater rise to our faith or we will be forced to defend our tenets of belief."
Gerrard 'Grendel' Rex
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